CD Reviews

The Great Lost NYC Noise Band

propertius | Brooklyn, NY | 10/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The DustDevils managed to be spectacularly unsuccessful during their fairly extended career. Nonetheless, any fan of early Sonic Youth, Swans or Royal Trux needs to check out this album. Like those bands, the DustDevils at their best managed to tap right into the druggy, arty haze that no longer exists in New York's now-yuppified East Village.Led by Michael Duane, an unsung hero of guitar squall, and his occasional girlfriend Jaqui Delaney, a female Mark E. Smith of sorts, the DustDevils really pulled it all together on "Struggling Electric and Chemical." A pre-Pavement Mark Ibold played bass on this, guaranteeing the album a footnote in the book of alt-rock history.It's likely that a lot of people will buy the CD for the cover of the Fall's "Hip Priest," and that's fine, as the DustDevil's version just might be better than the original. The rest of the CD is excellent: a good reference point is Sonic Youth's "Bad Moon Rising" but with better production, better drumming, better lyrics and a better vocalist (Jaqui doesn't sing so much as talk to herself in half-cryptic rambles). Following this, the band took a long break, released the uneven ep "Extant" and finally ceased to exist. Also worth seeking out is the band's LP (not yet on CD) "Gutter Light" which was released on Rouska/Fundamental prior to their move to Matador/Teenbeat."